Northern Soul
By Ady Croasdell
Back in the day no black American ever said, “Let’s make a record for all those upcoming teens in the north of England who in a few years will like dancing to uptempo soul while bombed on speed”. Admittedly a few “tailor-mades” did happen but these were a mere footnote to a scene that spent its life scouring record lists, oldies shops, auctions, warehouses and lofts for the next big sound.
Northern Soul is any record that has been played at a Northern Soul dance. That is a ridiculously large number of recordings that stretch from the late 50s to the present day and can vary between Charles Sheffield’s 1961 R&B mover ‘It’s Your Voodoo Working’ to some recent housey thing by Bob Sinclair called ‘Tribute’. The epitome of Northern Soul is 1965-66 uptempo Motown such as ‘It’s The Same Old Song’ by the Four Tops. It has the tempo, the production and Levi Stubbs’ emotion-drenched voice telling us how his girl has legged it; misery often features in the happiest sounding songs. Motown was the benchmark of this music but it was the following crowd that aped their sound and came up with myriad variations that are the essence of Northern.
Take ‘That Beatin’ Rhythm’ by Richard Temple on Mirwood, for many the first Northern label. It wasn’t released in theUKin the 60s and did not reach these shores until the early 70s. Some keen English youth would have found a copy on a US sales list, or in a UK junk shop that a few imports had sidled into, played it at his local club and created a stir. When the big-time DJs got to hear about it, the sharpest and richest charmed it into his own DJ box and regaled the eager dancers at the biggest club of the day, thereby creating a monster sound. It got bootlegged and even legally reissued, sold in the tens of thousands and can still be heard at venues every weekend around the now global Northern Soul world. The sound later embraced 70s shufflers, big-beat ballads, some Latin boogaloo and R&B stompers but it’s that mid-60s sophisticated soul with the on-the-fours beat that is the bedrock.
Selected releases
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I Can't Hold On / I'm Not Built That Way
Northern Soul
Various Artists (Pied Piper)
7" £10.68
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The Magic Touch/Bricks, Broken Bottles And Sticks
Northern Soul
Various Artists (Kent singles)
7" £8.79
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The Panic Is On / You Better Let Him Go
Northern Soul
Lou Johnson
7" £10.68
Do The 45
It all started out on 7-inch pieces of plastic and we’ve kept the fine tradition going with a large selection of the choicest sounds on three different labels. Many are from previously unreleased master tapes, so these are the only way to buy them for the disco decks.
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Kent 30: Best Of Kent Northern 1982-2012
A potted musical autobiography of how Kent has reflected and moulded the Northern Soul scene for 30 years. Exclusives, improved audio quality and exciting new versions abound.
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Pied Piper Presents A New Concept In Detroit Soul
Some say the greatest mid-60s Detroit Northern Soul productions. It was a wonderfully creative sideline for Motown’s Funk Brothers and friends which produced some of the best dancers ever.
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Okeh: A Northern Soul Obsession
This is the ultimate Northern Soul label which presented storming, classic, uptempo soul from Chicago, Los Angeles and New York in particular. The Okeh logo is synonymous with Northern Soul. Two volumes.
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Dave Hamilton's Detroit Dancers
Rarity is paramount to today’s scene and none epitomises the independent Detroit spirit better than Dave Hamilton’s home-studio productions. On a shoestring budget he recorded music which has been revered for 50 years. Three volumes and counting.
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The Mirwood Soul Story
Los Angeles’ take on the Motown Sound – with James Carmichael, Sherlie Matthews and Fred Smith on board, they very nearly got there. The Northern love affair with Mirwood started with a cool dance number called ‘The Duck’. Two volumes.
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Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities
Sourced from all over the USA (and Thailand!) this series features mainly 60s soul dancers from diverse sources. It makes for a great CD of Wigan monsters, early soul club classics, New Breed movers, big beat ballads and blue-eyed blasters – a great listen. Four volumes.
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King Northern Soul
Best known for its funk, the King, Federal and DeLuxe labels had a huge catalogue of black music from the 40s to the 70s wherein Northern Soul gems abound. Three volumes.
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Era Northern Soul
A square Los Angeles pop label issued a few black music gems in passing and then hipped up to the new groove with producers H.B. Barnum, Miles Grayson and James Carmichael delivering the goods.
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Northern Soul's Guilty Secrets
Northern Soul has an army of skeletons in its cupboard but didn’t we adore them at the time? Sneak this one into the house when the coast is clear.
